Immortality Starts From Making Money.-Chapter 347: The Never-Ending Core Zone

With the successful deployment of the Six-Paths Perception Lock Array, the exploration of the Never-Ending Forest progressed with astonishing smoothness.

On the surface, human adventurers advanced steadily into the depths of the forest, a realm where no human had ever stepped foot and returned alive.

Each mile they covered marked a page of history being rewritten.

For generations, the Never-Ending Forest had been synonymous with death, mystery, and terror.

Now, for the first time, its veil was being pushed back by human hands.

The inhabitants of the Western Region were making history with every measured step forward.

Yet, this visible advance was nothing more than a carefully constructed illusion.

The true exploration was not happening on the forest floor, but far beneath it.

Hundreds of meters underground, a massive tunnel snaked silently toward the very heart of the Never-Ending Forest.

The tunnel was wide enough for multiple Sky Runners to pass side by side, its walls reinforced with arrays and spirit-hardened stone.

Thousands of puppets worked tirelessly at the forefront of the excavation. Their movements were precise, mechanical, and unyielding.

Each puppet wielded specialized artifacts designed solely for excavation—drills that vibrated with controlled spiritual resonance, carving through stone without destabilizing the surrounding earth.

They did not tire.

They did not complain.

They did not stop.

Behind the puppets followed teams of human cultivators.

While the puppets dug forward, these teams laid down Sky Runner tracks, carefully aligning each segment to ensure smooth operation across long distances.

Moon Orbs were embedded at fixed intervals, casting a soft, steady glow that illuminated the tunnel without leaking spiritual fluctuations to the outside world.

At every mile, a Six-Paths Perception Lock Array was established.

Once activated, the arrays suppressed soul sense, and instinctive spiritual awareness, effectively blinding any powerful beast above ground.

Even ancient creatures relying on bloodline intuition or territorial awareness would sense nothing more than an empty void.

With these arrays in place, humanity no longer needed to fear discovery by the terrifying beasts that ruled the forest.

Standing within the tunnel, Mo Jian observed the coordinated operation with calm focus.

Beside him were Elder Bai Delan and Elder Luo Zhen, both seasoned powerhouses whose expressions carried equal parts awe and admiration.

Humans worked in disciplined shifts, rotating seamlessly to avoid exhaustion.

Whenever a team withdrew, another immediately took their place.

The puppets, however, worked without pause, their silent efficiency forming the backbone of the operation.

"Young Master," Elder Luo Zhen finally said, breaking the silence. His gaze lingered on the puppets with undisguised amazement.

"When you first spoke of puppets, I never imagined they would be used for something like this."

On this continent, puppet masters did not exist.

The concept itself was foreign, bordering on myth.

Yet Mo Jian had made it real.

"To think such a thing is possible…" Elder Luo Zhen muttered.

"Young Master," Elder Bai Delan added thoughtfully, "can these puppets be used for battle?"

Mo Jian was not surprised by the question. He shook his head lightly. "They can but not these."

"These were designed solely for mining and construction," he continued. "Their cores are simple, their frames optimized for endurance rather than combat."

He paused, then smiled faintly.

"But why would I waste resources on that?"

The two elders exchanged glances.

"Instead of creating battle puppets," Mo Jian continued, "isn't it better to create a powerful weapon? A single properly designed artifact can decide the fate of a war."

Both elders nodded in agreement.

The regional base weapon stood as undeniable proof.

Without it, the war against the evil sect alliance would not have ended so swiftly or so decisively.

"Young Master is right," Elder Luo Zhen said seriously. "Puppets are best suited for menial tasks like this. Artifacts are what truly shape the battlefield."

Then, unable to hide his curiosity, he added, "Young Master… when will you teach us how to make puppets?"

Elder Bai Delan also turned his gaze toward Mo Jian, anticipation flashing in his eyes.

Mo Jian shook his head. "That can only happen after we leave this continent. For now, my attention must remain here."

Both elders nodded solemnly.

Leaving the continent was no longer an abstract dream, it was a shared goal.

Though none of them had yet reached the absolute limits of cultivation, they could already feel it: the invisible restraint of the world pressing down on their bodies and souls.

The higher their cultivation advanced, the clearer the oppression became.

This world was incomplete.

"Young Master," Elder Bai Delan asked after a moment, changing the subject, "will you allow humans to explore the surface near the heart of the Never-Ending Forest?"

Mo Jian shook his head decisively. "No. Once we reach the heart of the forest, the surface exploration will end."

"The next phase will be conducted entirely underground."

The two elders immediately understood.

With the Six-Paths Perception Lock Array as a shield, they could dig freely beneath the most dangerous region of the forest.

No beast would sense their presence.

No ancient monster would stir.

No one would ever suspect that the true exploration was happening right beneath their feet.

"How long will it take?" Elder Luo Zhen asked.

"Two months to reach the core," Mo Jian replied calmly. "Beyond that… we will see."

Two months.

The elders looked at one another, their eyes shining with anticipation.

If they could bypass the terrifying beasts guarding the forest's heart, the exploration would already be considered a resounding success.

….

…

Deep within the Never-Ending Forest, far beyond where any human had ever set foot, lay the true core of the region.

Spiritual energy there was dense and pure, so concentrated that it seemed to saturate the air itself.

The entire area was perpetually shrouded in thick, pale fog that swallowed light and sound alike.

The fog disrupted all forms of perception—soul sense, even instinctive danger detection.

From above, the forest core appeared ordinary.

But beneath the fog lay a paradise untouched by time.

Extinct herbs grew in abundance, scattered across the land like common weeds.

Ancient spirit woods towered skyward, their trunks thick with millennia of accumulated energy.

At the edge of a natural lake, spirit fish leapt joyfully through crystalline waters, their scales shimmering with gentle light.

The natural ambiance blended seamlessly, creating a scene of breathtaking beauty, one that would haunt the heart of any cultivator fortunate enough to witness it.

At the very center of this hidden paradise stood three grand mansions, each constructed atop its own peak.

The structures radiated ancient authority, their architecture refined and imposing, as though they had existed since the dawn of the forest itself.

If Mo Jian or the others were to see them, they would be utterly stunned.

Who would have thought that the most dreadful core of the Never-Ending Forest housed such magnificent mansions?

Wandering between the mansions were humans dressed in tattered robes. Black collars encircled their necks, faintly glowing with suppressive runes.

Their eyes were empty, their expressions lifeless, souls long stripped of hope.

They were prisoners.

Inside the central mansion, within a vast and ornate hall, three extraordinary beings sat upon elevated thrones.

Their gazes were cold, proud, and filled with undisguised arrogance.

Each bore a distinct and terrifying form.

The first had the face of a human but the massive body of an ape, its muscles coiled with overwhelming strength.

The second possessed a human face atop the body of a tiger, its golden eyes gleaming with savage intelligence.

The third was a woman with a human face and the body of an eagle, her wings folded neatly behind her as sharp talons rested against the stone floor.

These were the three unrivalled hegemony of the Never-Ending Forest.

****

AN: Happy New Year to my lovely fans.

I'm deeply grateful for your support so far. It is the reason why I can continue pushing even when I want to give up. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

To all my privileged readers…

You encourage me to keep writing. You showed me I'm not writing in vain. You show me this book is still worth writing.

You tell me my sleepless night and hours of plotting the story means something.

Thank you very much.

I don't take you for granted.